Telgu Pre Wedding Rituals

India is famous for its culture all around the world. Wedding is a ceremony which is diversified all around India. Every state follows a different way which is unique in itself. Andhra Pradesh is one of an Indian state which has an elaborated wedding culture. Traditional telgu wedding lasts for fourteen days. In today's busy life it is reduced to five to six days. If both the parties are financially strong they can extend the number of days. If we observe a telgu wedding we would find that it is not just a function it is a celebration because relatives start to involve into the wedding affair from an early period. All the rituals conducted throughout the Telugu wedding ceremony hold religious significance. Each element in the ceremonies is connected with the other and is given special importance. Before the wedding rituals start both the families renovate their houses and invite all the guests.

Andhra Pradesh is famous for its rich and varied cultural heritage. All the rituals are conducted with religious observances, holding great importance in the lives of the residents of the state. Let’s get us get familiar with this state pre wedding ritual which has a great religious significance.

1. Nischithardham(Muhurtham): This is the first and the most important pre wedding ritual. It is also known as muhurtham because date and time is arranged to the very second. Members of both the parties approach an  astrologer together and they fix a date which is both fortunate and convenient for both the parties. The priest avoids certain months like Aashad, Bhadrapad and Shunya which are inappropriate for wedding. Once the date is fixed the families declare their decision to get the couple married. Next they read the invitation loud in present of everyone. The two families exchange clothes, gold. This denotes the end of engagement.

2. Pellikuturu cheyuta: In this ritual the bride and the groom seek the blessings from all the elders present on the occasion. They are covered in the turmeric paste and they are given a bath. This is done to cleanse their skin and to make their skin glow. The water is mixed with turmeric and oil. After this ritual the actual ceremony starts. Then they are given a new set of clothes to wear. After decorating the couple with turmeric and jewellery, they are escorted towards the marriage venue.

3. Snaathakam: This ritual takes place at bridegroom’s residence before the muhurtham. As a part of this custom, the groom is asked to wear a silver thread on his body. The ritual is conducted a few hours prior to the wedding.

4. Kaashi Yaatra: Kaashi is another name for varanasi. It is the centre of vedic culture and knowledge to Hindus in India. In the older times when a male child graduated he used to stay there and take up sainthood.

In this ritual the groom pretends to go on a Kaashi Yaatra. He tell everybody that he has left all the worldly pleasures such as marriage, relations and properties and is no more interested in leading a family life. He is then stopped by the brother of the bride. This ritual is added to have some fun. When the groom persuades he is carried back to the mandap where the actual wedding is going to take place.